Accessibility can be defined as the ease of access of health services in terms of distance (geographical distribution), cost, time and workforce availability. It is a prerequisite for a high-quality and efficient health system.
We have assessed accessibility of healthcare along three sub-dimensions:
Some indicators analysed in specific domains of care also relate to accessibility:
- Among mental health care indicators: the number of practicing psychiatrists (MH-2) and registered psychologists (MH-12), and the waiting time before a first appointment at a mental healthcare facility (MH-3);
- Among care for the elderly indicators: the percentage of elderly people receiving long-term care in a dedicated facility (OLD-1) or at home (OLD-2), the percentage of people aged 50 years and over delivering informal care (OLD-3), the number of available beds in long-term care facilities (OLD-4), the share of persons that are not highly dependent in the population of dedicated care facilities (OLD-5) and the number of practicing geriatricians (OLD-6);
- Among end-of-life care indicators: the number of patients receiving palliative care (EOL-1) and the number of patients receiving palliative care too late (EOL-2).